The Mysterious Life of Amelia Earhart

By Tiona M.

Amelia Earhart is a well-accomplished pilot, but how many of us know about the mystery of Amelia Earhart?

On July 24th, 1897, Earhart was born into a well-promising family. Her mother, Amelia Otis Earhart, was the daughter of a judge and had inherited a fair amount of money from her parents. Her father, Samuel Earhart, was on the path of becoming a railroad lawyer and would bring in large sums of money. However, somewhere down the road, life did not turn out as her parents thought; Mr. Earhart had become a drunkard. As a result of his careless actions, Amelia’s mother divorced her husband. She took Earhart and her little sister, Grace Muriel, with her. Earhart spent most of her childhood moving around to different cities and states. Because of her childhood, Earhart learned to become an independent woman at a young age.

Adult life was full of promises for Earhart. She did everything from publishing a book, becoming the 16th woman to get her pilot’s license, and becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928. After she came into the public eye in 1928, Earhart came out with her clothing line called “Amelia Earhart,” sold at Macy’s. Later in 1931, Earhart married the publisher of her book George P. Putnam.

The disappearance of female pilot Amelia Earhart and her navigation pilot Fred Noonan took the whole world by surprise. There have been several theories on the disappearance of the two pilots. Over the past years, many believe the Japanese captured Earhart and Noonan. Recently a photo was released from Jaluit Island. In the picture, two people are said to be the legendary Amelia Earhart and her partner Fred Noonan. Some allegations about the disappearance I find to be untrue. My theory is that it was neither Earhart nor Noonan in that photo. Records prove the picture was released two years before Earhart took off to be the “first woman to fly around the world.” It stands to reason because the woman’s hair in the photo was longer that Earhart’s hair when she took off, and Noonan never wore light-colored clothing. Earlier on, evidence was found on Marshall Island that can likely prove that Earhart died on the island. Researchers have found a jar that may have contained freckle cream inside, a Talon zipper, and human bones. Beyond the shadow of the doubt, this is where I believe Earhart died. She had freckles yet did not like them, the zipper is from either pants or jacket, and the research has shown that the bones found on the island belong to a “taller than average” woman of European descent that was about 5’ 7 to 5’ 8. Documents have shown Earhart was around 5’ 8. Also, she is the only documented person whom the bones could belong to. However, it makes you wonder–what happened to Fred Noonan?

Amelia Earhart left a legacy that her country will never forget. She lived her life to the fullest. In many ways, I admire Amelia Earhart. She was a self-determined, independently brave woman. She did not let things get her down; she got right back in the saddle. She tried new things and kept trying until she accomplished them. One day, I hope we can uncover the mystery of the legendary Amelia Earhart.